In the Mail: The On-Demand Brand

The consumers of yesteryear—a captive audience glued to “mandatory” commercials during a weekday sitcom—are long gone. Today’s consumers dodge ads whenever they can, watching streaming video, immersing themselves in online content, and becoming more and more removed from traditional advertising. And today’s marketers are desperate to connect with this elusive, increasingly ad-resistant consumer republic. Madison Avenue has had to struggle to keep up, and Mathieson (Branding Unbound) has excellent ideas for how it can. A brand is a story, and it’s a company’s job to find a way to make it compelling. Advertisers need to start thinking more like programmers, considering more creative content for their audiences. The most successful campaigns of late have spoken to consumers in a way that’s interesting and engaging beyond the scope of the product itself (e.g., Burger King’s Subservient Chicken site) or possess shock-value (e.g., Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty) or provide entertainment beyond the scope of the hard sell. Through persuasive arguments and q&a’s with the major players in advertising, Mathieson makes an excellent case for greater creativity and outside-the-box thinking backed up with solid ideas.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Holtsberry

I work in communications and public affairs. I try to squeeze in as much reading as I can while still spending time with my wife and two kids (and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Michigan Wolverines during football season - oh, and watching golf too).